North Carolina's tax office said refunds are slow in getting out because it is worried about issuing too many checks at once. The department is experiencing a "temporary backlog" with issuing individual refunds. It is writing checks every week, but it hopes to make significant progress with the backlog in a few weeks. It is the latest fiscal problem for state government, which is dealing with dwindling tax collections due to the recession. Governor Bev Perdue is trying to close a projected $2.2 billion shortfall this fiscal year.